First Team News

Squad bound for South Africa revealed

Passports at the ready, City jet off to South Africa for the first leg of their pre-season tour on Wednesday night.

The Blues’ 30-strong party bound for Africa features an intriguing blend of promising youth and international experience.

Included alongside first-team regulars such as Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany, as well as Swedish striker John Guidetti, who also travel, will be EDS regulars like Emyr Huws, Karim Rekik and Denis Suarez.

Eirik Johansen, Shay Facey, Devante Cole and Alex Nimely are other youngsters hoping to impress the new manager.

Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta will not be on the initial flight but will join up mid-way through the squad’s time in South Africa after being given a few extra days to rest after their South American World Cup qualification exploits for Argentina in June.

David Silva and Jesus Navas will meet the team on the Hong Kong leg of the pre-season tour after they both played full roles in Spain’s run to the 2013 Confederations Cup final in Brazil.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men jet out of Manchester on Wednesday night ahead of the Chilean’s first game in charge, the Nelson Mandela Football Invitational match against Supersport United at Lotus Versfeld on Sunday.

That game is followed hot on the heels by the game against AmaZulu in Durban on 18 July.

We’ll be with the first-team squad every step of the way in South Africa, Hong Kong, Munich and Helsinki this summer, so make sure you keep checking mcfc.co.uk for all the summer news and tour features first.